Ivar the Viking / A romantic history based upon authentic facts of the third and fourth centuries

by Paul B. Du Chaillu

A murmur of assent greeted the last words of the sentence, for the Norsemen were, above all, a law-abiding people. And as obligatory, he recited the declaration of peace by first saying, “I establish peace among all men here.”

Then every Thingman that was to judge, or any man who had to perform legal duties, took an oath upon the ring, and said: “I call those present to witness that I take oath on the ring, according to law, to defend or prosecute this case; and give the evidence, verdict, or judgment which I know to be the most true and right and lawful; so help me Frey, Njord, and Odin.”

The first case brought before the Thing was that of a Hauld who had wounded a man in a fit of anger.

“Thou knowest well,” said Ivar, “that the higher a man is in station, the greater is the indemnity to be paid by him for breaking the law; he who is of high birth ought to set the example. The judgment of the court is, that thou shalt pay for the wound thou hast inflicted six rings of gold, each ring weighing twelve aurar, which is six times the amount a freeman should pay for the same offence, or half more than a Bondi.”

A man was next brought up for stealing while on a trading voyage. This class of thieves were called “gauntlet-thieves.” All the crew of the vessel was present. “Thou knowest the law,” said Ivar. “It is, that thy head shall be shaved and tarred, and eider-down or feathers put upon it. Then the crew shall make a road for thee and stand on both sides, and thou shalt run to the woods if thou canst. Every one shall throw a stick or a stone after thee, and whoever does not throw shall pay a fine of nine ortugar.”

The thief was tarred and feathered; a road was made for him between the sailors; he ran as fast as he could, but he had hardly reached the end of the road that had been made for him when he fell exhausted, badly wounded.

A Bondi came before the court, and declared that he had killed two robbers who tried to defend themselves. “Well hast thou done, for these men were unholy, and thou hast no indemnity to pay for their lives,” was the verdict.

Then a man was brought up who had committed burglary and had been caught with arms upon him. “Thou knowest the laws,” said Ivar again; “thou art an outlaw and shalt die. Men like thyself the land does not want.”

A case was next brought up in which a man was supposed to have committed murder. One of the champions of Hjorvard, named Asgrim, had been slain, and the people who were there were unable to tell who was the slayer; but it was suspected that a man by the name of Asmund had done the deed, though he denied the accusation vehemently. It had been decided at a preceding Thing, by the kinsmen of Asgrim, that Asmund should take an oath at the following autumn Thing, which was the one now taking place.

Then Ivar took from his arm the oath ring, and, in presence of the Thingmen and of the multitude, Asmund named two witnesses, as was required by law, saying: “I choose Thorvald and Olaf as witness that I take an oath upon the temple ring that I did not redden point and edge of any sword where Asgrim was slain. I know this oath to be most true, so help me Odin, Frey, and Njord.”